Robert "Bob" E. Lewis 1925 - 2019

LEWIS, ADMIRE, WINQUIST

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 10/1/2019 at 21:33:22

Sioux City Journal
29 September 2019

Correctionville, Iowa

Robert "Bob" E. Lewis, 94, of Correctionville, passed away Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2019, at a Sioux City hospital.

Service will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at United Methodist Church at Anthon, Iowa. The Rev. Jena Finch-Manchester will officiate. Burial will follow in Oak Hill Cemetery at Anthon. Visitation will be 5 to 7 p.m. Monday, with a prayer service at 7 p.m., at the church. Arrangements are under the direction of Armstrong-Van Houten Funeral Home of Anthon. Condolences may be sent online at www.armstrongfuneral.com.

Robert "Bob" Eugene Lewis, the son of Robert Scates and Iva Pearl (Admire) Lewis, was born Sept. 19, 1925, on a farm north of Anthon, Iowa (the Craigeen Place). He attended many rural schools in Woodbury County and graduated from Anthon High School in 1943. Bob grew up during the Depression and started working in the fields when he was 9 years old behind a team of horses, Babe and Bird. Bob had a love of purebred livestock. He maintained Shorthorn cattle, Hampshire and Duroc hogs, and Suffolk sheep. He loved the outdoors and nature. Bob could identify all the trees in the area by name and every bird by its call, including the illustrious Ooh-Ah bird.

Bob was united in marriage to Eleanore Winquist of Akron, Iowa, who was teaching in Anthon in August 1951. He bought the Theodore Franks place in August 1949, known as “the sheep place,” and in 1955, they bought the Karl Peterson place, where Bob and Eleanore raised their family. It is this place where Bob died mending fences and checking his cattle.

Bob served on the board of directors for the Iowa Ram Testing Association. Bob received the Iowa Master Producer Adult Award in the Purebred division in 1984. He showed his sheep at the county, state and national shows and won many awards, including more than 25 trophies. He sold breeding stock to 31 states and one Canadian province. Bob was a 4-H leader of the Kedron Hillbillies and he was on the county subcommittee for many years. In 1984, he was made an honorary 4-H member and received the Outstanding 4-H Service Award. His family hosted exchange students from Massachusetts, Canada, Germany, Norway and France. Bob was a member of the Cerulean Lodge of Anthon, and a member of the United Methodist Church, where he was a trustee for many years. He served on the board of Iowa Suffolk Sheep Association.

Bob loved telling jokes and it was extremely easy for him to laugh. For his children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and anyone else who might indulge in his antics, he was known for his amazing ability to hypnotize chickens, infamous monkey face and rendition of the not-so-famous song, "Mrs. Bliss." Bob was a wonderful story teller and historian of sorts, especially as it related to the local area. He remembered everything.

He is survived by his wife, Eleanore; children, Robert "Lewy" (Chris) Lewis of Des Moines, Iowa, Christi (Jeff) Patterson of Paullina, Iowa, and Tracy (Rick) Lewis of Des Moines; five grandchildren, Christopher (Kimber) Patterson of Inwood, Iowa, Justin Patterson of Los Angeles, Calif., James Patterson of Paullina, Iowa, Daniel (Melissa) Patterson of Nevada, Iowa, and John Lewis of Chicago; two great-grandchildren, Olive and Miles Patterson; sister, Barbra Buckley of Kingsley, Iowa; as well as many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Scates and Iva Pearl Lewis; parents-in-law, John and Muriel Winquist; sister, Roberta Petersen; and brothers-in-law, Alfred Hamann, Marvin Petersen, Eldon Blenner and Charles Buckley.